English – Dog Cross Federation

DCF Presentation

The Dog Cross Federation is a sport you can practice with your dog in complete safety on our different places. Open to all dogs from 10 months.

Those activities are based on mutual connection and trust between humans and their dogs.

The DCF consists in jumping 4 different obstacles approved by the Federation on places adapted to this sport.

The 4 obstacles are : the Hedge jump, the Long jump, the High jump and the Wall climbing.

Several categories exist, depending on the size, the breed or the weight of the dog to give to everyone a fair chance in competition.

For each obstacle, the dog’s owner announce a height and has 3 attempts to validate the measurement. Once it’s done he can try to increase his performance and to each height he will have 3 new attempts to validate it.

This sport highlights your dog’s physical and mental abilities. Indeed, dogs must be very versatile to succeed in each obstacle. The owners have to correctly prepare their dogs if they want to evolve in this activity.

Rules

In order to practice DCF or participate in competitions, every dogs must have their license up to day. The license is valid from the day you take it until next November 1st.
- License price: 25 €
The use of coercive equipment or behavior is prohibited.
The use of real fur toys, dead or living animals is prohibited.
The Federation can temporarily or permanently exclude any person in case of abuse, abandonment or endangering their dog.
The use of illicit substances, drunkenness, verbal or physical violence towards the others participants or the judges will result in immediate expulsion from the competition. Depending on the facts, the Federation can decide to exclude you permanently. (No refund will be made)

Participation in competition’s conditions

You must be present for the entire duration of the event.
You must be up to date with your vaccination program and be able to present your dog’s passport to the veterinary.
Females in heat can participate on Sunday only, after the others dogs. Their results will count for the ranking but they cannot participate in the Final or the Open.
In order to participate in the Final, you must validate 2 qualifications (2 competitions where you valid the 4 different obstacles). Also, you have to validate minimal performances according to your category. (See table below)

None qualification is necessary to participate for the Open

Rules and information about humans

3 humans maximum are allowed to handle the dog during his jumps
It is forbidden for everyone inside the obstacle’s park to :

– Position themselves on the dog’s path, preventing him to cross the invisible line.

– To touch the dog once he has been released after being correctly placed.

– To make an order by voice in order to replace it. However it is still possible to stop the dog by voice but it will have to jump from where it stand once it is stopped. Both human and dog have to work moving forward, they can’t step back. One attempt will be counted if this rule isn’t respected. If a handler is placed behind the dog, he won’t be allowed to catch up the dog from behind if this one has started to move.

– To let the dog jump with a leash still on.

The obstacle’s judge is not allowed to help any participant by giving information relative to the competition.
By participating in competitions, you are likely to be photographed or filmed. Those images can be used on the Federation’s networks or website. In case of refusal, please notify the organizers on the event’s day.

Challenges (no obligations and free)

Jump Trophy :

Team up with 4 dogs. Each one of them will have to represents the team for one specific obstacle during the entire season. They all have to chose a different obstacle (two dogs from the same team can’t represent the same obstacle). Once chosen, they can’t change it. The addition of the 5 best participation in competitions of each dog on their respective obstacles will be counted + the Final’s results (to which the all team have to participate). An average will be established per type of obstacle and the team with the best average out of the 4 dogs / 4 obstacles will be rewarded.

Team Challenge :

Team up with 5 dogs. Unlimited participation in competitions are allowed but only the 5 best results will count + the Finale. To build a team, each dog have to be owned by a different human. You will have to count at most one dog from the 3rd group and 2 dogs from the 2ng group, but you can team up with only dogs from the 1st group.

Rules in competition

During a competition, you have to succeed 4 different obstacles. Your dog’s name will be called when it’s your turn. At this moment, you have to be ready to enter the obstacle’s area.

Once you’re in, the process is the following one :

– Announce the first measurement you want to validate with your dog (you will have 3 attempts to validate it)

Each time you validate a measurement, you will have the choice between : Announce a higher measure or stop here.

– You will have 3 attempts to validate each measurement.

– At the end of the 3 attempts, if your dog didn’t succeed to validate the jump, your final score will be the last measurement your dog validated. However, if you don’t validate your first announce, the judge will pronounce a « X » and the obstacle will be considered invalid.

Warning

A warning is given when the « X » is not obvious for several reasons and the judges considers unjustified to attribute it. It is used to warn you to be more careful otherwise you might endangering your dog. You can only have 1 warning, at the second one you will get a « X »

When does a « X » announced?

Once you have enter the obstacle area if your dog’s back touch the floor at anytime (by playing with you or when landing for the Wall climb or the High jump)

– Wall Climb : If your dog is not caught properly and safely placed on the ground.

– If it doesn’t validate your first measurement announced. – Once the « X » is pronounced it’s irrevocable and indisputable. The judge inside the obstacle’s area is the only one who is allowed to pronounce it.

What is an attempt?

Once the judge says « ON », is considered as an attempt each time the dog cross the « imaginary line » of the obstacle,this « line » is defined by the beginning of the infrastructure but also include the side path around it as well. For example, if your dog turn around the obstacle and cross 3 times the imaginary line, the 3 attempts would be lost and the measurement will be missed.

The attempt begging at the moment you stopped touching your dog after you placed him. You and your dog have to move forward, if any of you step back, it will be considered as a missed attempt.

After passing the imaginary line, if your dog jumps back on the reverse side of the obstacle :

– If it didn’t succeed his measurement on the right side, you will lose 2 attempts.

– If it succeed its measurement but touch a bar on his way back (for long and hedge jump), you will lose an attempt for the next measurement

– If it succeed its measurement and doesn’t touch any bar on its way back, you won’t lose any attempt.

Stay aware, an attempt is lost even if the handler touch a bar.